The present invention relates to a method for controlling a robotic device according to the preamble of claim 1. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for controlling a robotic device for inserting or removing rod-like elements, like smoking bars, into or from a storage frame, the rod-like elements serving for storing sausage-like products, e.g. sausages, each having a sausage-shaped body and a loop on one end of the body for a pendulously storage of the products. The method comprises the steps of providing at least a first movable storage frame for temporary storing rod-like elements, moving the storage frame into the operating range of the robotic device, picking up by the robotic device a rod-like element on which at least one sausage-like product is hung up, and inserting or removing the rod-like element into or from the storage frame by the robotic device.
In an already known production line for producing sausage-like products, like sausages, a filling tube is provided for feeding a packing material or tubular casing, respectively, with, for example sausage meat, wherein the tubular casing is closed at one end facing in the filling direction by a first clip. After the filling operation is concluded, the tube-like casing is finally closed by a second clip. If the sausage is later to be hung up, for example for the purposes of smoking or storage, a suspension loop is fed thereto in such a way that, when the first or second clip is attached, it is embraced by the respective clip and is thus secured to the sausage. The term loops in accordance with this invention is used to denote all at least partially flexible means, by way of which articles can be hung up.
After the filling process, the sausage-like products can be subjected to further processing. In the case of sausages as the sausage-like products, this could be a smoking process for the purpose of which the sausages are brought into a smoking chamber. For this, the sausages have to be transported to the end of a conveyor and there taken over by an automatic hanging line, in which the sausages are hung up on a rod-like element, such as a smoking rod, at their loops one after another in such a way that, as far as possible, they do not touch each other. Afterwards, the smoking rods are transported to a storage frame which would have rollers for transporting the storage frame with the smoking rods into the smoking chamber. In this conjunction, a robotic device can be provided for removing the smoking rods from the storage frame and/or inserting the smoking rods into the storage frame.
A robotic device being part of an automatic sausage production line for inserting or removing rod-like elements into or from a storage frame is known from EP patent application 1 994 829.
In the production of sausage-like products using a production line, there can be a great variety of machines being components of the respective production line. Said machines may vary in their size, in the rate of production or in the size of products to be manufactured. Moreover, there can also be a variation as to the kind of used rod-like elements on which the sausage-like products are to be stored, and the kind of storage frames to which the rod-like elements are to be fed or from which they have to be removed. Even if identical rod-like elements are used, depending on the kind of sausage-like products and their further treatment, like smoking or boiling for sausages as sausage-like products, it might be necessary that the rod-like elements together with the sausage-like products hanging thereon, have to be placed at specific positions inside a storage frame. As already mentioned, there can also be used a great variety of storage frames, wherein these storage frames may be standardized with regard to their geometrical dimensions or may also be produced individually or a combination of both types of storage frames can be used.
Typical storage frames used in the manufacturing process for sausages can have a length of about 0.80 m to 1 m, a depth of about 1.00 m and a height of 1.20 m. The tray rails or shelf rails, respectively, which are arranged at opposite side walls of the storage frame and on which the rod-like elements in form of smoking bars are to be placed, may be formed by horizontally arranged profiles having a U-formed or square cross-section. The tray rails have often a predefined vertical distance in height to each other, which can be about 0.50 m, and also a predefined height to the bottom level. The storage frame can further comprise wheels or rollers or the like for moving the storage frame automatically or by hand.
Subject to the manufacturer of the storage frames, the storage frames may vary in size regarding the above-mentioned geometrical dimensions and/or in the diameter of the wheels used. Moreover, in use, storage frames may be damaged, individually adapted or repaired. Thus, the tray rails on which the rod-like elements are to be placed, may be modified and their position may be changed.
While inserting a rod-like element together with the sausage-like products hanging thereon into a storage frame, said rod-like element may butt against the storage frame since, for example, the size of said storage frame has been modified due to adaption, repair or damage. As a result thereof, the sausage-like products may fall off the smoking rod or may be destroyed. This can in particular happen, if a robotic device is used for inserting rod-like elements into or removing them from the storage frame, since a robotic device operates automatically based on a software program.
If a robotic device is used for storing the rod-like elements into or removing them from a storage frame, only one specific kind of storage frame is usable in conjunction with said robotic device in order to avoid the above described disadvantages. Moreover, to restore the exact dimensions of said storage frame by e.g. repairing, a damaged storage frame is very expensive.